The Top 10 Things That Should be in Super Mario Maker for Switch
Because it’s definitely coming
The Wii U wasn’t known for its impressive library or hardware, but when it had something good, it was great. Super Mario Maker was a brilliantly simplistic Mario level editor with a surprising amount of depth. It was an easy-to-use tool to start making the very kind of game that got many players into video games to begin with. With Splatoon getting a Switch sequel and games like Mario Kart 8 and Pokkén Tournament getting enhanced ports, it seems likely that Super Mario Maker will also receive a Switch outing. I think it would be a missed opportunity if it was simply a port, however. With just a few additions, the game could go from great to excellent.
Pack-in stylus
The original Super Mario Maker is probably the best use of the Wii U’s multiscreen functionality. Using the analog sticks to maneuver game tiles in level editor mode would take forever and lose the accessibility of the original game. Luckily enough, the Switch has a touchscreen. Unluckily enough, it’s not the kind of touch screen that facilitates this specific kind of play because it’s built for fingers rather than hard-tipped styluses. The inclusion of a capacitive stylus packed-in with the game could remedy this. Players would be able to drag and drop level elements with their styluses while the Switch is in portable mode, just like how it worked on the Wii U.
Slopes and fulcrums
The number one most asked for tool in Mario Maker that was never delivered is the ability to design levels with slopes. The lack of slopes meant that Mario was never able to gracefully elevate through an incline or barrel down a slide. Blocky stairs Mario has to clunk through have been the only option for level creators. Slopes have been used in plenty of levels in games from Super Mario Bros. 3 onward. For players to truly have the same freedom in level design that Nintendo has had, slopes are a requirement. Fulcrums would also be great. Certain platforms could be made to lie on a fulcrum and then tilt from side to side depending on if weight is placed on the platform on either side of the fulcrum.
Additional themes
Overworld (grasslands), Underground, Underwater, Ghost House, Airship, and Castle were all available as level themes in the Wii U version of the game, but there is room for many more. Desert, Forest, Beach, and Snow themes, for instance, have appeared in almost every 2D Mario game since Super Mario Bros. 2, Bros. 3, and World and should definitely be considered for inclusion. The more visually distinctive the player can make their level, the more likely it may be that they feel a sense of creativity and ownership of their work. Maybe even that cool Van Gogh-esque swamp theme from New Super Mario Bros. U could be included.
Environmental tiles
Levels that take place entirely underwater are already possible. What would be exciting, however, is if small pockets of water could be placed throughout an otherwise dry level. Little pools in the middle of a level could be used to hide secrets or provide a middle ground between a safe section of land to fall on and a bottomless pit. Other forms of environmental hazards like quicksand, lava, and strong wind tiles might also be accessible by shaking water tiles in the level editor mode.
Additional game styles
The first Super Mario Maker had four game styles: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. U. These are definitely the most notable traditional Mario 2D platformer styles, but if they’re going back to the Mario Maker brand, they might as well add one or two more. The most obvious one is Super Mario Bros. 2 and that would certainly be exciting. It might be problematic, though. The mechanics of Super Mario Bros. 2 are built around the player landing on enemies or items and riding or plucking them, which is a far cry from any of the other gameplay styles. Maybe that’s fine, but I have a feeling that if it was feasible to reconcile that with the other styles, it would have been done the first time.
A less obvious style, but perhaps one more in-line with the other already available game styles, would be that of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. Being a Game Boy game, the game was entirely monochrome, which would be very visually distinctive from the other styles. Certain power-ups like the air-time-extending “Carrot,” for example, were exclusive to this game and could return after many years in this version of Super Mario Maker.
Better online optimization
Without Miiverse, the level selection system will be a bit neutered. People were able to upload levels, leave comments, and search for level creators all through Miiverse, which is no longer an option. A whole new in-game online ecosystem will need to be considered, but this might be a good thing. Searching for levels was very difficult in the original game. You couldn’t search by level name at all. Other kinds of search were facilitated by Super Mario Maker Bookmark, Nintendo’s official level directory, but even then it was still a hassle. A full rework of the online system to allow for easier searching, uploading, and sharing would be fantastic.
More boss and enemy options
In the original game, the only enemies that make sense to be big, end-level challenges are Bowser, Bowser Jr., and any enemy given enough Super Mushrooms to be huge. This is mostly fine and it’s great that they added Junior for a little variety, but more boss options would be great too. If there was a way to make each one behave differently, it would be great to see the Koopalings as usable level elements. If not them, maybe Boom-Boom from Bros. 3 and Reznor from World could be added as boss options.
Other playable characters
Three of the four game styles have “Bros.” in their names, yet the only option in Super Mario Maker is Mario. While playing in the classic Bros. game style, there is an option to outfit Mario with costumes that make him look like all different kinds of characters, but they all still control exactly like Mario.
Luigi is a must. He should be able to be selected upon loading a level. If he controls anything like he does in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, he should have a higher jump than Mario, but worse traction. Luigi is the only additional character that I think is absolutely necessary, but Peach with her float-jump, Toad with his speed, and maybe even Wario with his shoulder barge would also be worthwhile additions.
World map creation
You’ve already made your levels, but how about the area surrounding them? It would be great if sets of levels could be made into worlds and if those worlds could be explorable from a map screen like in Bros. 3, World, and the console New Super Mario Bros. games. Mario’s mobile debut, Super Mario Run, already has a “Kingdom Builder” mode that seems like a primitive version of this. Levels could be organized on a grid with pathways between them and landmarks like mountains, trees, and waterways around them. Particularly adventurous developers might opt to create entire worlds full of levels to explore rather than individual gauntlets and puzzles to complete.
The most memorable aspect of Super Mario World’s map screen are the secret exits. Many levels had hidden keys or alternative goal poles that, if found, lead to a shortcut or hidden level on the world map. These exits not only make the game faster to complete the second time around, they also promote exploration rather than just rushing through. If the ability to create a world map is included in the next Super Mario Maker, hidden exits and pathways between levels should be available to level designers as a tool to enrich their creations.
Full game example
With slopes, more level design elements, other playable characters, and a world map editor, players would have pretty much everything they’d need to make a fully-featured Mario game. It’s a lot of freedom, but it might also be a bit more intimidating than the original game’s simplicity. A great way to show creators the ropes would be to include a new Mario game designed entirely in Super Mario Maker.
There has been a lot of discussion about whether or not Nintendo could ever make a new 2D Mario game in a post-Maker world. The answer is that they can make a new 2D Mario game using Super Mario Maker. This new game could function both as a guide to show players how to make well-designed levels and proof that the editor’s tool-set truly is deep enough to create something worth playing. Getting players excited to compete with Nintendo’s level design is exactly what a new version of Super Mario Maker needs to fuel players and level makers while they explore their creative potential.
This article was written by Super Jump contributor, Mitchell F Wolfe. In addition to his writing, Mitchell is the host and producer of the official Super Jump Podcast. Please check out his work and follow him on Medium.
